Learning Exercise: "Animals At Monterey Bay Aquarium"

Students will view a live web cam displaying various animals in the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is located in Monterey, CA. The various animals that will be displayed include the following: giant bluefish tuna, hammerhead sharks, sea turtles, etc. Students will observe the various animals displayed via the live web cam. After the video, a class discussion will be held to discuss the various animals displayed in the web cam. In the discussion, students will be given several guiding questions to help them conclude the following: Animals inhabit different kinds of environments and have external features that help them thrive in different kinds of places. Thus, students will conclude that the animals at the aquarium have external features (ie: fins, tail, scales, gills) that help them thrive and survive in the ocean. These animals’ gills, for instance, help them breathe in the ocean. These animals’ fins, for instance, help these animals swim in the ocean. These animals’ tails, for instance, serve as a steering mechanism for these animals. Lastly, students will draw the animals observed and label the animals’ external features (ie: fins, tail, scales, gills, etc.). Students will be given a paper containing the labels (fin, tail, scales, gills), which students will cut out the labels and place them onto their picture labeling each feature.

Course: Life Science; Grade 1

Info

Submitted by:

Laura Cabrera

Date Last Modified:

November 29, 2011

Exercise

Teachers will need to be able to utilize the video’s tools correctly (using the play, pause, and volume options found in a black rectangular box embedded within the video). Since this video is live, it cannot replay or display images that have already streamed live. If teachers wish to clarify students’ misconceptions about a particular animal, for instance, then they will only be able to use the images that are streaming live because this video cannot replay images previously displayed. Thus, students will select one animal they observed and draw a picture of this particular animal with its respective labels.
If teachers need to provide clarification on an animal or an animals’ external features, they could use the following links: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/classroom/sharktemplates/Hammertemplate.shtml (information on hammerhead shark)
(information on sea turtle)
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/turtle/Seaturtlecoloring.shtml

Disciplines

Audience

Grade School

Topics

Biology: Oceans: Animals

Requirements

Students that have been provided with adequate opportunities to learn about marine animals’ external features (ie: fins, gills, scales, tail) which help them thrive and survive in oceans will be able to successfully complete this assignment. Students that are able to cut paper with scissors and draw pictures that include labels will be able to successfully complete this assignment.
Teachers will need to be able to have reliable access to the internet because this video is displayed online (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/efc/efc_opensea/open_sea_cam.aspx). Teachers will also need to have access to a projector or an ELMO machine so that all students will be able to see this particular video. Thus, this video will need to be displayed via an ELMO machine. Teachers will also need to have basic technological competency in order to successfully complete this activity (ie: browsing the internet, playing videos on the internet, etc.) Since this video demonstrates the external features of marine animals that help them survive and thrive in the ocean, it is recommended that teachers show this video at the end of their aquatic/marine animals unit.

Learning Objectives

Students will identify external features (ie: fins, tail, gills, scales, etc.) that help marine animals thrive and survive in the ocean in the form or a drawing with appropriate labels. Students will participate in a class discussion sharing their observations, reactions, and thoughts pertaining to the video.

Type of Task

Student-centered

Teacher-centered

Assessment

A class discussion will be utilized as an informal assessment of students’ progress towards the learning objectives. This informal assessment will also be utilized to provide clarification, assistance, feedback, etc. The discussion is designed to obtain students’ reactions, observations, and ideas pertaining to the video. Teachers can utilize the following questions: “What kinds of animals did you see?” “What did the outside of these animals look like?”, and “What do you think these animals could survive in the ocean?” Thus, teachers can provide clarification, assistance, or feedback to students based on students’ responses to these particular questions. After students have been guided to conclude that the animals at the aquarium have external features (ie: fins, tail, scales, gills) that help them thrive and survive in the ocean (gills help them breathe in the ocean, fins help these animals swim in the ocean, tails serve as a steering mechanism for these animals), they will be prompted to draw a picture of an animal that they observed in the live video. Students will also be given paper with labels such as fin, tail, scale, and gill which will be cut out with scissors and pasted onto their drawing to label the animal’s external features. If a student selects a turtle, for instance, then they will be prompted to only use the labels that correspond to this animal. Thus, scales would not apply to this animal. Consequently, students will need to determine the labels that correspond to their selected animal. Students will also be prompted to use color crayons in their drawings. Students’ drawings with the correct labels will be used as an assessment of their progress towards the learning objectives of this exercise.

Technical Notes

This exercise requires a broadband connection or reliable internet access to display the video. This exercise requires the latest version of Windows Media Player and also may require the latest version of media players for software other than Windows or PC (ie: Mac). This video also only plays from 7am to 7pm (Pacific Standard Time), thus this video will only be available during these times.

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